Creating a Backup Plan

Despite all the hard work that pre-health students put into their applications to professional school, the hard reality is that there are many fewer positions available than there are qualified applicants.  As a result, many students find themselves unable to immediately continue with the training they desire.

     *More students are accepted than matriculate, for a variety of reasons, but most organizations only publish matriculant data.

     Many applicants who are not accepted the first time they apply try again the following year. It is important that these applicants do something before reapplying that will significantly improve their application, e.g. retake the aptitude test, increase volunteer or clinical experiences, and/or take more science coursework (either at the graduate or undergraduate level -- post-baccalaureate programs are available to help students improve their academic preparation for professional school). 

     Many applicants, however, recognize in their rejection that the career they were attempting to enter was not the best fit for them, and they switch their focus to a different profession – either another health-related career or something outside the health care field.  In order to avoid possibly spending the year after graduation wondering what to do with your life and/or scrambling to complete additional prerequisites, it is important for applicants to realistically think about alternate career plans (often referred to as “Plan B”) as early as possible. 

• Explore a variety of health care careers (diagnosis/treatment, therapy, or technical careers).

• Take a career aptitude survey (they often suggest career possibilities that applicants had not considered)

• Think about what activities you most enjoy and in what areas  you excel.

     Thinking about a “Plan B” before your senior year does not mean you are any less committed to your current career goal.   Instead, doing so shows maturity and a realistic understanding of your qualifications and the competitiveness of the professional school application process.

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